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Volunteers clear tin panels and other debris following Typhoon Yutu (Credit: Mariana Islands Nature Alliance).
The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Islands Region of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawai‘i spans across 5,239,989 square miles, and is our largest region. Despite their geographic isolation, these island communities are not isolated from the issue of marine debris. Island communities face unique challenges around managing marine debris, including limited land mass, waste infrastructure, and currents that carry debris from afar. Five marine debris prevention and removal projects supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program are in progress in the Pacific Islands Region. These small communities are leading the way with large efforts.
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Check out the new Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan on our website!
The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the 2021 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the Marine Debris Program and partners across Hawai‘i, including federal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia. It represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in Hawai‘i for the next ten years.
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A diver using a lift bag to remove an anchor from an artificial reef (Credit: Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves).
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently completed a marine debris removal project with the support of a Fishing for Energy grant, a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Covanta, and Schnitzer Steel. Florida's DEP and their partners worked to locate and remove derelict fishing gear and other marine debris from four artificial reefs in the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves on the southwest coast of Florida.
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Volunteers cleaning up bottles and other trash at an event in Washington, D.C. (Credit: NOAA).
This month, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let’s remember that it’s not just a day off from work and school, but a day to think about what it means for our country. To commemorate a great man who spent his life serving others, this day has become a time to come together to give back to our communities and volunteer our time to a good cause. If you’d like to participate in MLK Day of Service, consider doing a cleanup in your area. Cleaning up your local shoreline or even just your neighborhood can help prevent trash from becoming marine debris and can help to create a healthy ocean that we can all enjoy.
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Save the Date! The 7th International Marine Debris Conference will take place September 18-23, 2022, in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) will take place September 18-23, 2022 in Busan, Republic of Korea. This conference is one of the world’s largest and longest-running events dedicated to the issue of marine debris. The 7IMDC is organized by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The 7IMDC Call for Technical Sessions is still open and is accepting submissions of proposals.
Check out the report to learn about the contributions of the United States to global ocean plastic waste (Credit: NOAA).
We are pleased to share a study by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on the contributions of the United States to global ocean plastic waste. This report, funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, evaluates the prevalence of marine debris and mismanaged plastic waste, examines the import and export of plastic waste to and from the United States, and assesses the potential value of a national marine debris monitoring system.
Explore the interactive overview of the study
A laysan albatross chick with an oyster spacer tube stuck on its beak (Credit: NOAA).
We celebrated National Bird Day this week, and we want to highlight that seabirds are one of the many kinds of wildlife that are impacted by marine debris. Plastics and other debris can be found in even the most remote places, including far-off islands where seabirds find shelter, breeding grounds, and food. When seabirds encounter plastic items in their environment, they can mistake them for food. Learn more about what happens when wildlife eat, or ingest, marine debris.
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